Letting out all those breaths.
Just letting it all go.
The day,
The week,
The month,
Whatever it was before.
You can't really do anything about it now.
And things have a way of getting smaller with time.
Most things.
So maybe you can just put things aside for the night.
And you might wake up and realize
they weren't such a big deal after all.
Stretch and wiggle and squirm
and just get yourself settled and comfortable.
A yawn is good too.
Just letting go of it all.
All the things that have made your body and mind tired.
They're not here right now and all that remains is rest.
Which is just what the doctor ordered.
If you can do it in a calming way,
Maybe you could get excited about falling asleep.
Won't that be nice?
What a well-earned rest for all the work we do every day.
All the enormous and small efforts we put out.
Letting go.
Yawning again,
You might exhale with the word selah,
The ancient biblical word
that was connected to breathing and approval.
Stretch,
Settle,
Become more quiet.
Be gentle with yourself.
You did a great job today.
Whatever its challenges were,
You got through them.
Emotionally,
Physically,
Spiritually,
You are here.
You strived mightily and succeeded.
Thank yourself.
And notice the world around you getting quiet.
Your body getting more still.
Becoming still and connected to deeper knowledge.
Becoming quiet as a kind of praise.
And you're released from all obligations.
No one needs you right now.
No demands,
No questions.
And certainly,
You've been disappointed today or recently.
Injured,
Hurt,
In feeling or in body.
Someone did something.
It's typical.
Some of the work is in forgiving.
Can you let go?
Or will you hold on and be dragged behind it?
And if you can't totally forgive,
You can partially forgive,
Artificially forgive.
Pretend forgive for now.
That could work.
Just so you're not holding on yourself
and punishing yourself.
And if you can forgive,
Other people can forgive you.
You can ask for forgiveness,
As hard as that is.
And ask to be made new and to change.
May it all be acceptable.
And the light fades.
Sleep and dream start to drift in from the edges
and obscure your vision.
You're protected from any mishap.
Your eyes are true.
Going to an inner sight.
And aware of all the infinite connections
among all that lives.
All bound together in a single cloth,
In a single web,
On a single loom.
With a shared origin and a continuous destiny.
All of this is one.
And that might cause you to feel love.
Affection for the world.
Faithfulness for its security.
And gratitude for every moment that you get to exist.
It's a good stance to go through life
aware of the preciousness of every moment.
Even the last moments of consciousness in a day.
And you're sheltered.
You're protected.
In a fortress,
Shielded.
No doubt.
You're shielded.
No terror or violence or illness will come your way.
You are safeguarded.
Watched over by great and good forces all around.
Lifted up.
Carried over difficulty in love.
You're protected.
You're protected.
You're protected.
You're protected.
You're protected.
You're protected.
You're protected.
You're protected.
So that you can go out of the day
with life and peace and come back into a new day
with renewed life.
Lying down and rising up.
It all continues and goes on ever and ever.
Great and good forces looked over those before you.
And great and good forces will remember you
for the generations to come.
The universe blesses you.
The universe guards you.
Breathe that in.
The universe shines starlight down upon you with grace.
Breathing that.
And the universe looks to you expectantly
to offer you peace,
Harmony and wholeness.
You may sleep,
But the universe will go on.
And all your prayers,
All your wishes and desires
will be carried forward.
Given away.
And you are surrounded by great and good mysterious forces.
In your right hand,
A great and good force
will carry all of your doubts and questions.
In your left hand,
A great and good force
will be responsible for all of your efforts,
Strength and vigor.
And you will be guided by the great and good force.
All your efforts,
Strength and vigor.
Before you as you rest,
A light held up for the righteous.
Behind you,
A great force of healing,
Massaging into you through sleep,
Cures for your pains and sorrows.
And above you,
All that is holy,
Sacred and profound.
I'm taking a few more moments just to settle in,
To stretch and adjust
and wiggle and let out any last grievance.
Draw in greater quiet.
Breathe out on the word selah.
You have all that you need.
The universe is vast and complete,
Unending and enduring.
Unending and enduring.
No beginning and no end in sight.
And you can be carried along in its awesomeness,
Held in the palm of a loving world
with nothing to fear.
Blessings.
